Cuttings conveying means



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CUTTINGS CONVEYING MEANS Filed Aug. 11, 1945 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 lig/5. I

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cUTTINGs CONVEYING MEANS Filed Aug. 1l, 1943 8 Sheets-'Sheet 8 v a Ezyl II Wfl Patented Aug. 31, 1948 CUTTINGSCONVEYING S :Leon.E.-Simmons,- Claremont, N. H., assignor to J cy-fManufacturine,4 Company, a-.corpgraiionpt 1- f Pennsylvania Application August |11, 1943;.- serial Ne.-y 498,194

r 2 Claims. 12

v This. -invention relates .ftocuttingsI conveying means. and.'moreiparticularlyi but not exclusively, to-iimprovements.- in a .cuttings conveying means for.. a.. .coal .cutting..machinev ofthe -exibly' fed, room-.and pillar,y oorcutter type.v

vIn'the cuttingpf coal by theA use of -modern high.. speed.- coal .cutting` machines.` of :the room and. pillar-,endless cuttenchainV type, the. .cuttings cheated byl thecutters-.cf 'the cutter-chain during thekerf cutting. operation accumulate so rapidly.- at the,r rear endof .the-,cutter #ban-that it is practically impossible, .by -most present day methods. .tol remove i them. suiiicientlyl rapidly, and,= asa result, a-large-quantityi-of cuttings piles up,ar.ound..the..-rear end of the. machine` in such manner as .materially to. .reduce `the cutting ehiciency.- Ithasbeen-common practice manually lio-.shovelz` the-...cuttings away .-from'- the. machine, employing=-.tW.o.-.or moreA shove1ers,.a. laborious task,; with. many attendant f dangers,` and,feven themalargeamount of the cuttings-are conveil/ edf back :into `the kerf, resulting inincreased power consumption and-.wear ofthe. cutter parts, and-loss .cf-:efficiency "-Known@ attempts.- have been made to remove mechanically .thecuttings from the vicinitycfgthe,cutterchain ofa. room and-,pillar Acoal cuttingmachine, but such known mechanisms are relative15in-.bulky.` greatly increase thelongitudinal dimensions of ;-the machine, `preventingclose setting-ofrooi-props anddue to their designare relatively noisy in (mei-ationl .and create .considerable hazardous-dust. It; is also known.that a-singlespiral conveyor has; been employed in longwall coalcutting. machines of comparatively-.small capacity to convey, away the.-cutt.ines. but ,it-has. been found ihatdnzhsh capacity. room ,l and-pillarv coal cutting machines a4 single -spiral `conveyoro f suiicient-capacity to accommodate the large amount of. cuttings Would-necessarlly-be olf-extremely large dimenf sions,fa1l.d as a result, it` was found-impossible to locate suona relatively-large., cpnveyorsufficiently.` close .to the cutter-chain ,ofthe machine tov ,enable ,eilicien-t operation-without substrati; tiallyA modifying the.. coal e cutting.. machine, A spiral type-.conveyor was-foundz-.however--, to have manygadvantagesin that. it is extremely-com,.- pact. permitting relatively.- close. setting; off-fthe roof aprons, operatesin-,a quiet-and effroi-ent man,-` ner and creates little .hazardous dust.

Anob-,iect of thefvpresentinventionisto prog vide a Cuttings.- Conveyor means'-cS-ricai1yder signed for; use .in amodern high,- speed-/roomand pillar type coal cutting machine, and onewhich overcomes the.- disadvantages-.Ofreevevitlamea-11s 2. ot known. types.4 Another` object is-to-provide an improved cuttings conveying means `havingrelatively -g-reat f. eiciency. Whilendesirable.. compactnessl isiobtained, and thecreation off-objection.-

,5 able dust is minimized.V .A. further-object-.isftc providean; :improved cuttings.. conveying. means of---the -spirallconveyor type Wherein,.,while..'oh. taining relatively large capacity, it is possible `to locate4` the :,-convey-ing meansV relatively.- closer.. to the-cutter chain ofl the-coal cutting. machine. Yet anotherobject is to. provide a.,cl1ttings-.con veying means embodying tween-.more `enacting conveying devices which f Servei. .to move .,flarge quantitiesof cuttings. from.A the.. vicinity mfr-.the cutterchain., Ai stillwfurther object .is .to-.provide an improved-cuttings .conveying-.means embodyiing t itvvo .o-r. more. enacting spiral conveyors arranged in azno-velimanner. Sti-lli vanother object -is tov .provider two, or. more... spiral conyeyors.- ar.- .ranged-dn.I an impnovedgmanner. on spaced. apart parallel axes extending.. longitudinally Aof .the `'coal lcuttingemachine.. A further` obj.ect-isto. provide anyl improved cuttings conveying.. means.. having novekdriving means andfnovelmeansior mount.- ing 4the.. sarnefon andattaehingthe `same tofacoal cutting-.machina Another `,object-is. to;.-provlde an improved cuttings conveying. means-.which lis arrangedfwithin the pproj ectionnf` the lateral .limitsfmof .-the;-machine andwhicn projects. only.. a. comparatively. short` distance from :theerear end of'fthe machine. -A- furthervobiectis to, provide an;,lmpmyed reversibieicuttings conveying -means adapt-veduto.. use with; a.. reversible-type coal-:entf ting@ machine; .forI conveyingawav- :the-cuttings mima their. machine; irrespective of.- the direction inl-,wlilhhe-:machine iS operated-.1 .Stillanother Object-is.-ftornrovide. `an '.imprcved .reversible cnt. tingspccriveyinsi means-fof,- the multiple-,spiral conveyor: type bcdyineinterchangeeblespiral conifeyorsfwhercbyoperation-ineither of-,opppste directions -iS,.-.DQ,S.S.ib 1epb-. a' sim-ple inter,- Glianse-.of parte, other; objects :andadvaateees cfr-t. e intention :will be. clearly-apparent-15o-those .kill d zin tlficalft..Y .inthe/accompanying drawingsthere are-shown fer?, mames-.0f illustration twoi forms-.which fthe invcnticn, may `assu-mc.in- -practice.

3 lshown in Figs. 1 and 2, with a portion of the machine broken away to facilitate illustration.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken substantially on line 6-4 of Fig. 1, illustrating a portion of the conveyor drive.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in longitudinal Vertical section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. l. i'

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig 'l is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on line 'I-l of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken substan-I tially on line 8--8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a coal cutting machine equipped with a cuttings conveying means of a modified construction.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the cutting machine and conveying means .shown in Fig. 10. l Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross Asectional View taken substantially on line I2-I2 of Fig. 10, showing a portion of the conveyor drive. Fig. 13 is an enlarged view in longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on line I3-I3 of Fig. 10.

Fig. v14 is an enlarged rear end elevational view .of the cutting machine and conveying means z shown in Figs. 10 and 11, with a portion of the machine broken away.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken substantially on line I5-I5 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged h'orizontal sectional View taken substantially on line IB--IB of Fig. 14.

- In both illustrative embodiments of the inveny,tion the improved cuttings conveying means is associated with a coal cutting machine of the flexibly fed, room and pillar, floor cutter type.v

.tom plate or shoe 2 slidable on the floor of a mine.

Extending longitudinally throughout the length Aof the lower portion of the machine frame is a chamber 3 having projecting therein and secured to the machine frame the rearward portion of an .elongated horizontal pl-ane cutter bar 4, the latter'having mounted on its margin for circulation thereabout an endless cutterchain 5. The

fflexible feeding means may comprise feeding and `controlling drums 6 and 'I respectively having wound thereonfeeding and controlling cables 8 and 9. Carried by the machine frame is a motor -ID having its power shaft operatively connected .to the cutter chain and the feeding and controlling drums for effecting drive thereof. As shown in Fig. 14 of the patent above referred to, the vmotor power shaft is connected through spur and bevel gearings to a vertical shaft I I `(Fig. 6) to which is keyed a chain sprocket I2 arranged'in --the chamber 3 and engaging and driving the end- -less cutter chain 5. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14 of the patent above referred to,the motor power .shaft is operatively connected through separate high and low speed gearings to the feeding and controlling drums 6 and I to effect independent driving of the latter at either'high or low-cable It will be evident, of course, that the -1 f Cav winding speeds. In Fig. 5 herein a portion of the high and low speed gearlngs for one of the drums is shown. A high speed gear I3 is connectible by a multiple disk clutch I4 to a horizontal shaft I5 which extends longitudinally of the machine and is suitably journaled in the machine frame. Driven by this shaft is a worm I6 meshing with a worm wheel II which is connectible by a multiple disk clutch I8 to a horizontal transversely extending shaft I9, the latter being operatively lconnected to one of the cable winding drums, herein the drum I. A low speed gear 2li is connectible by a multiple disk clutch' 2| to the shaft I 5. The

. clutches I4 and 2I have suitable operating means so that when one is applied the other is released.

The feeding and controlling cables 8 and 9 may -be extended from the feeding and controlling drums 6 and 1 around appropriately located guide sheaves on the machine in a conventional manner and are 4connectible at their free ends to suitable anchor jacks located at the rib and face of the room of a mine. The cutter chain when connected in driven relation with the motor may be rapidly circulated about the margin of the cutter bar, and, as the cables are wound in by the motor driven drums, the cutter bar may be sumped beneath .the coal at one rib, thereafter be fed transversely across the coal face to cut a horizontal kerf beneath the coal, and finally be withdrawn from the face at. the lopposite rib. The feeding drum effects feed of the machine and the controlling drum controls the angle of the machine with respect to the coal face during the kerf cutting operations all in the manners well known to those skilled in the art. During the kerf cutting operation, the cuttings created by the cutters of the cutter chain are carried back from the kerf through the 4chamber 3 eX- tending through the lower portion of the machine for discharge at the rear end of the machine. Since th'e mode of operation of a room and pillar coal cutting machine of the type disclosed is well known and is fully described in the patent above referred to, further description thereof is herein unnecessary. 1

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. l to 9 inclusive, the improved cuttings conveying means generally designated 25, is attached to the rear end of the coal cutting machine and 'is arranged in such manner that its conveying elements remove the cuttings from the vicinity of the cutter chain at the rear end of the chamber l3 and convey the cuttings to discharge rearwardly of the machine out of the machine path. Now referring to the specific structure of the improved cuttings conveying means'it will be noted that arranged in a casing 26 are coacting conveyor devices, herein preferably three spiral conveyors 2l, 28 and 29 arranged in parallel oiTset relation on horizontal axes extending longitudinally of the coal cutting machine. The conveyor casing has parallel horizontal bores 30 for receiving portions of the spiral conveyors (Fig. 7) and as shown in Fig. 8, these bores each communicate at their forward ends with a transverse chamber 3| 'which forms `a continuation of the frame-chamber 3. As illustrated, the conveyor casing 26 has lip portions or feet 32 (Fig. 9) overlying and resting on the bottom skid plate of the machine, andthe conveyor casing is suitably tted to the rearend of the machine in an extremely compact manner. The conveyor casing includes a main portion or section 33 which carries the lip portions or feetv 32 and a detachable rearward upper housing portionl 34, the two parts @imitan "of the 'casingihavinga horizontal-ijlunctionaaaat 35. .Thebottomfiportion 3-3 of `the conveyor casinglis-Yrigid-ly attached ras lby screwsl 36 'to the framero'ff the coal cutting machine -whileMthe-up- -perhousing 34 is readilydetachable. For releasably `attaching-the upper housing 3.4 -to the fbottom-portion.-33t-of the conveyor casing, there are provided:eyebolts-'S'l-(Figs. 6 and-JZ) pivotally vmountedatl-'on-lthe bottom casingsection 133 and fswingable laterally vinto vertical slots 3S formed on v lateral projections integral -.with f the upper J*housing 34. Threaded on y the upper. ends of L.the-eyebolts are suitable wing nuts-Ml which, when tightened; firmly. clamp the upper. housing to the bottom casingsection. .sByloosening these -wing--nuts andswinging the eyebolts llaterally lfromatheslots .39, the upper 4housingamay .be readilyl detached. 4The three. spiral conveyors.` 21, .28 fand.-29 .project :forwardly into the. .machine frameaand are arranged Ywith respect to `thepath ofthe cutter'chain 5in the manner shown in :Figs- 6,.and, as. the cutter chain moves the cuttingsrearwardly yin `the chamber 3, thespiral conveyors receive the. cuttings and convey the cuttings rearwardly throughthe bores 30 inxthe conveyor casing, to discharge at the rear end tof thegmachineoutof `the vmachine path.` .These spiral conveyors-preferably all rotate in the same vdirection and are driven by themotor l of the coalmuttingmachine. The two outer conveyors arersomewhat longer than thecentral conveyor, inthe mannershown. l

v The conveyor driving means may assume vari- .ous forms and herein comprises ashaft 4I (Fig. 5) extending. centrally longitudinally through ya bore intheshaft I and keyed at itsforward end-to ashaft42 inlturn keyed to the hub of the gear .I3 :and'driven bythe latter. The shaft 4| ris vclutched at 43 at its rear end to` the hub of a cone 44 of a frictional cone clutch. Thecone 44 is heldfby a spring 45 in frictional engagement with the'walls of a conical bore '16 forme-d in a clutchmernber `1111. This clutch'member has its hub-'keyed to a horizontal longitudinally extendingvshaft vherein arranged in a tubular housing 49 suitably detachably secured at its inner end to `the `rear end of the machine frame. Secured to and driven by the shaft 48 is a spur gear 50 arranged in a gear lhousingll5l preferably detachably secured tothe bottom section 33 of the. conveyor casing. As is also shown in Fig. 5, the.` gear 5l] meshes with a gear 52 which in turn meshes with a gear'53. The `gear53 meshes with and drives a- -gear 54 which meshes with a geary 55, the

' latter in turn meshing with and driving a gear 56 which meshes with and drives'a gear 51A Meshingwithand driven by the gears 53, 55 and 51 respectively, aregears 58, 59 and B0. As shown inFig. 6, the gears 58, 59 and 60 are secured to horizontal longitudinally extending shafts 4SL62 and B3respectively, lsuitably journaled inthe .housing of the conveyor casing and to which' the spirali conveyors 21, 28 and 29 are respectively secured. An open space 64 is arranged beneath the gear housings of lthe conveyor casing as shown in Figs, 3 and 4 so that the cuttings'conveyed rearwardly by the spiral conveyors may be discharged freely from the rear end of the conveyor casing. Upon removal of the screws 36 and detachment of the tubular housings 49 from the machine frame, the cuttings conveyingmeans may be removed rearwardly as a unit from the rear end of the coal cutting machine, the connection between the conveyors and the machine Vends within `these housings.

.gearing releasing-at the 'clutch 43,. asthe convey'- Aing Vmeans iszmovedrearwardly.

lInlFigslOtto 16. inclusive,:a modified formlof :the cuttingsconveying vmeans isshown. This .fveyors project inwardly into the machine frame .andlextendinto a chamber 1U which forms a continu-ation of the frame chamber 3 with their for- 4ward endsin adjacency to the path of travel of the cutter chain-5, and are the conveyors preferably arranged onspaced apart paralled horizontal axes extending longitudinally of the `machine. The conveyor casing 66 includes a bottom casing section 1l rigidly attached by screws 12`to the machine frame and detachable upper housings A13 secured byeyebolts 14 to the bottom cas-` ing. section. These upper housings may be readilyremoved to obtain access to the conveyors. In this construction, the` conveyors are separately driven' through the individual driving gearings for the feeding and controlling drums 6 and 1. As shown in Fig. 18, each conveyor is driven through a releasable clutch 'I5 similar to the clutch '43'and connected through frictional cone clutches 16 to parallel longitudinally extending `shafts 11; These shafts extend through tubular housings 18` suitablyattached to the machine frame, and havesecured to their rear ends'gea'rs Ts see ais@ Fig. 12). The gears 19 mesh `with and drive gears Bwhich in turn mesh with and drive gears 8| fixed to parallel longitudinallyl extending shafts 82.' yThe gears 19,-80 and 8l are enclosed within housings 83 on the `detachable upper portions 13 of the conveyor casing, and the shafts 82 are suitably journaled at their rear The spiral conveyors 68 and 69 are nxed to and driven by the shafts 182. Thus the spiral conveyors may be driventhroughithe'driving gearngs for the cable Windingdrums of the=coal cutting machine in relatively opposite directions.

`-Asldescribed in the patent above referred to,

.the coal cutting machine may operate in either of opposite: directions to cut horizontal kerfs in .the coal, and, in this instance, the cuttings conveying meansismade reversible so as to conveyaway the theconveyors is made possible silmply `by removingv thexdetachablelupper housings and interchanging one conveyor forthe other. Such interchange of thesspiral conveyors enables operation of the conveyors'in the proper direction irrespective of the direction inwhich the coal cutting machine is op; erating.` i Extending longitudinally of the conveycreasing intermediate the spiral conveyors isa chamber Bd'through which some of the cuttings carried back by the cutter chain may be discharged from themachine', and arranged beneath the gear `housingsftS are spaces 35 through which thencuttingsconveyed rearwardly by the spiral conveyors may be discharged from the machine. The conveying means may be detached from the machine as a unit simply by removing the screws which fasten the same to the machine frame and moving the conveying means bodily in a rearward direction, the drive connections between the conveyors and the machine gearing releasing automatically as the conveying means is so moved. The conveyors may be readily removed from the casing while the bottom casing section remains xed to the machine frame simply by removing the upper gear housings. Such ready detachment of the conveyors facilitates the interchangeability thereof for reverse cutting.

In both embodiments of the improved conveying means, the frictional cone clutches in the conveyor drives are set at a predetermined load to slip automatically in the event the conveyors become overloaded, thereby to prevent damage to the parts. Evidently, the conveying means of the triple spiral conveyor form may have the conveyors replaced with conveyors having spirals of opposite lead to enable reverse operation during cutting in a reverse direction.

As a result oi this invention an improved cuttings conveying means is provided which overcomes the disadvantages of known types of cuttings conveyors. It will further be noted that -by the provision of two or more coacting conveyor devices, large quantities of` cuttings may be conveyed from the vicinity of the cutter chain of a modern high speed coal cutting machine. It will further be evident that by the provision of two or more conveyor devices arranged in the manner disclosed, large quantities of cuttings may be conveyed from the coal cutting machine, resulting in more eflicient operation. The spiral conveyors are relatively quiet in operation, create comparatively little hazardous dust, and are extremely compact, enabling relatively close setting of roof props. By the provision of the interchangeable spiral conveyors, the conveying means may be readily reversed so that the cuttings may be conveyed from the coal cutting machine irrespective of the direction of operation thereof. Other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there are in this application specifically described two forms which the invention may assume 'in practice, it will be understood that these forms of the same are shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modied and embodied in various other forms .without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cuttings conveying means adapted for association with a coal c'utting machine having a frame carrying kerf cutting devices, comprising a conveyor casing having a chamber adapted to receive cuttings from the machine and having spaced -apart parallel openings extending longitudinally of the machine frame when in use, the adjacent walls of said openings arranged in spaced apart relation to provide a longitudinal space between said walls, coacting relatively movable conveyor devices operating to move the cuttings from the vicinity of the cutting devices, said conveyor devices arranged longitudinally in said openings respectively and having their inner cuttings-receiving-ends in adjacency to the kerf cutting devices and their outer discharge-ends remote from the kerf cutting devices, said conveyor devices having portions thereof completely enclosed by the opening-walls and other longitudinally inwardly spaced portions disposed in free transverse communication with said space nearer the side t0- ward the kerf cutting devices, and means for c'oncurrently driving said conveyor devices, said conveyor devices arranged and constructed to receive the cuttings at the inner ends of said openings and to move the cuttings longitudinally through said openings to discharge at the outer side of said casing, and said space between said adjacent opening-.walls providing a longitudinal passageway between said conveyor devices for the discharge of a portion of the cuttings longitudinally away from the kerf cutting devices.

2. A cuttings conveying means adapted for association with a coal cutting machine of the kind having orbitally moving kerf cutting devices guided for circulation in a cuttings-receiving chamber within the frame of the machine, comprising a casing attachable to the machine frame and having a chamber adapted to communicate with the machine-frame chamber to receive the cuttings discharged from said frame chamber, said casing having spaced apart f parallel bores extending when in use longitudinally of the machine frame with one bore at each side of the longitudinal vertical center of the machine frame and casing, the inner adjacent walls of said bores being arranged in spaced apart relation to provide a longitudinal space ,between said walls, rotatable spiral conveyors arranged in said bores respectively and operating to move the cuttings from the vicinity of the cutter chain through said bores and to discharge the cuttings outwardly from said casing, said conveyors operating in a longitudinal direction relative to the machine frame and having cuttings-receiving portions projecting longitudinally inwardly from said bores into the machine frame into adjacency to the cutting devices, and means for concurrently rotating said conveyors, said space between said adjacent bore-walls providing a longitudinal passageway between said conveyors for the discharge of a portion of the cuttings outwardly from the casing chamber independently of said conveyors.

LEON E. SIMMONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Jeffrey Oct. 3, 1944 

